Looking back 

IWSG monthly post

As the year draws to a close, and we look back we all wonder if there were things we would do differently.

Hmm. Actually I am not sure I could have done things differently. I made clear plans at the beginning of the year. At the time I was doing finishing touches to Mr Mummific's second book "Mummies, Monsters, and the Ship of Millions." I had researched the Duat - the journey the ancient Egyptians took after death to reach the Field of Reeds.

Mr Mummific met the dangers of Duat in his characteristic way (tongue in cheek). I just had to take care the details of the story were right and as with his first book "How I Became a Mummy" I had to do my best to make the details in pictures correct as well.

So, I had written the story, planned which picture needed to be ready when, so that the whole project would be on schedule. And I did stick to that.  Each picture was planned on two small sticky notes - one for drawing and the other for painting the drawing. So two sticky notes per picture. These I then moved along my calendar to be sure everything would be ready in time. 

Every time someone asked my husband and myself to attend any social occasion, it meant furious moving of  sticky notes on the pages of my calendar. On some days I had to do two illustrations the same day - but thankfully there were weekends... 

(It is actually quite gratifying to remove a sticky note from the calendar and toss it into the waste paper basket once the task is done).

After the book was sent to the publisher, I think I had a week when I had no deadlines. And then my publisher asked me for another illustrated book. The subject was Tutankhamun, the target group was children. And the deadline was tight. There went spring, summer and fall.

But now "Tutankhamon in My Own Hieroglyphs" is at its editing stage. And on top of that it was chosen to be a book that will follow the Tutankhamon's treasures exhibition on its world tour in 10 cities around the world. Had to pinch myself when I heard the news.

So to be honest I did not have time to do much else than pre-planned writing and illustrating. What I have done on top of that, is to write at least 1000 words per day for my Nephilim Quest series book 3. Some days I have not had time to do so, and some days I have written much more.